Vajrayana and women

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 25. Chapters: Buddhist nunneries in Tibet, Dakinis, Tibetan Buddhist nuns, Machig Labdrön, Vajrayogini, Garu Nunnery, Chupzang Nunnery, Freda Bedi, Yeshe Tsogyal, Mandarava, Tenzin Palmo, Carola Roloff, Robina Courtin, Samding Monastery, Negodong Nunnery, Thubten Chodron, Palden Lhamo, Phuntsog Nyidron, Narodakini, Nenang Nunnery, Ani Pachen, Samantabhadri, Gebchak Gonpa, Ngawang Sangdrol, Passang Lhamo, Ani Tsankhung Nunnery, The Life of Orgyan Chokyi. Excerpt: Machig Labdrön (Tibetan: ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿, Wylie: Ma-gcig Lab-sgron, English translation: Unique Mother Torch of Lab) (1055 - 1149) was a renowned 11th century Tibetan Tantric Buddhist practitioner and teacher. Machig Lapdrön was a great Tibetan yogini who originated several Tibetan lineages of the Indian tantric practice of Chöd. Machig may have came from a Bönpo family and, according to Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, developed Chöd by combining native Tibetan Bönpo shamanism with the Dzogchen teachings. Iconographically, Machig Labdrön is often depicted with the attributes of a dakini, a representation of enlightened female energy. She holds a drum (damaru) in her right hand and a bell in her left. Her right leg is often lifted and the standing left leg is bent in motion. Machig is white in color with three eyes and wears the Six Bone Ornaments of the charnel grounds, which is traditional for a practicing yogini. dakinis wear 5 bone ornaments; they are themselves the wisdom paramita... In the Life of Yeshe Tsogyel, Padmasambhava predicted that Yeshe Tsogyel would be reborn as Machig Lapdron; her consort, Atsara Sale, would become Topabhadra, Machig's husband; her assistant and Padmasambhava's secondary consort, Tashi Khyidren, would be reborn as Machig's only daughter, and so on. All of the important figures in Tsogyel's life were to be reborn in the life of Machig Lapdron, including Padmasambhava himself, who would become Phadampa Sangye. Machig was the mindstream emanation (tulku) of another great yogini, Yeshe Tsogyal, as well as "an emanation of the 'Great Mother of Wisdom,' Yum Chenmo, and of Arya Tara, who transmitted to her teachings and initiations." This pattern of reincarnations and emanations continued into the life just before her birth as Machig Labdrön. In the lifetime before, she was the Indian yogi, Mönlam Drub. After his death, the body of the twenty-year-old Mönlam Drub is said to have remained "alive" in the cave of Potari in Southern India. Ac